A Veldt Christmas
by emstar1-1
Summary: Relm and Shadow Centric. Relm asks some of the others if and how they celebrate Christmas, but doesn't get the responses she wanted - but some things did become clearer from Shadow. A Christmas One-Shot for the soul.


**_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VI_**

_Heeeeello! Firstly: Happy Christmas and other holidays everyone! Secondly: yeah, this is a Christmas fic, so if that's not your thing then that's cool. Thirdly: You can just replace Christmas with another holiday if you want. It'll make the same sense._

_Other than that, please, enjoy!_

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><p><span><em>A Veldt Christmas<em>

It was a cold winters day on the Veldt, as it always was in these stories - Christmas stories that is. Relm remembered a kind face and Strago telling her stories but over time, that blurry, warm face faded and it was just Strago left. She always thought that that face was her mother's; warm and kind and gentle.

_Christmas_ Relm thought. _It's been a while since I've had one of these. A whole year!_ she sniggered to herself in her mind, laughing at her own joke. She liked Christmas time, usually. Everyone was all happy and jolly and there was singing and dancing, and people actually wanted her moving drawings all over the place. It was a great time for her. But Christmas day - it always felt a bit lonely. Even with old man Strago.

Gau looked at her curiously, tilting his head fully to the side and looking around. At least he didn't say anything funny, this time -Cyan's lessons had rubbed off well on him, it seems. Maybe at some point in the future he'd make a good boy - a great man, even. But that was too introspective for now.

She looked around at the snow tipped mountains in the distance, at the sugar-dusted fields around her, and the foggy, grey sky filled with heavy, dark clouds. It was almost Christmas weather, close enough the the sparkling white Christmases she was used to. But of course, there was no Strago around to make her feel less lonely, no villagers around to sing happy songs with and now warm food to let forget the underlying pain that encapsulated her twelve-year-old mind.

She must've been standing there, stoically, shivering, for longer than she realised.

"Relm? You'll become a snowman if you just stand there!" Cyan fussed over her with a warmly curved mouth and kind eyes, ushering her back towards the looming hull of the Falcon.

"Yes sir!" She replied in the military fashion that she'd seen the men in Thamasa do a long, long time ago. Going to hunt down some thief, she thought. They never did catch him - 'ran off like the a shadow', apparently. That was in the winter too - maybe even at Christmas. "Hey," a thought struck Relm as the two of them clambered over to the airship in the ankle deep snow. "What did you used to do for Christmas?" She asked, looking up at the Doman knight trailing just slightly behind her, arms limply carrying the shield he'd claimed for his own.

"I was just thinking about that, young Relm." His smile faded as soon as he'd finished his sentiment, dripping like melted snow from his face. "But I... I'd prefer not to-"

"It's fine." Relm cut the old man off, grinning at him brightly to make up for his pain. "I'll go ask... Terra! And maybe Edgar since he's there."

She dashed over in the snow, cutting across Cyan's path back to the ship to where Terra was sitting, making tiny snowballs levitate above her hand - and Edgar watched her. Although it may not have been her magic he was watching...

"Hey! You two!" She called ahead of herself, jogging the last part of her trip. They looked up at her in unison, and Terra smiled widely, snapping her fingers and letting the cold ball of snow - ice shatter around her hand.

"Relm? What can I do for you?" She asked, flipping her eyes over to Edgar briefly before settling on Relm. She had the distinct feeling that she'd interupted something.

_Oh well. They can get back to that whenever. When it's not Christmas Eve._

"What did - do you do for Christmas?"

"Christmas?" Terra's expression turned to one of confusion, before crumbling like a trodden snowflake. "I... I don't know about that. I'm sorry." She explained, looking down at the bright, shimmering snow.

"It's a festival - once a year on the 25th of December. It's a good excuse for a party too." Edgar explained succinctly.

"And children get presents!" Relm added gleefully. If she acted young enough this year, then maybe next, when she would technically be an adult, she might get presents too. Maybe she would to make up for the years that'd been robbed from her.

"I... I never knew. I didn't celebrate anything with the children last year." Terra stated plainly, and forlornly, looking over at Edgar beside her.

"At Figaro there's a big party every year - all the Royal children are given presents and we celebrate the end of the night with fireworks. But there haven't been any Royal children in twelve year now..." Edgar too looked down trodden after saying that; he was of course referring to his and Sabin's lack of children - and the fact that they were currently the only two siblings left in line for the throne.

_Well, they do say it's lonely at the top. _She thought wistfully.

"And you can imagine any anytime soon?" Sabin chortled merrily, approaching the suddenly melancholic group while a closed-eyed grin on his face. "Come on Relm - let's get back to the ship." He guided her with the back of his hand, nodding his head at his brother in response to something that Relm couldn't see.

"You know, I'm actually fourteen now!"

"And I'm twenty-nine." He stuck his tongue out at her and let out a rumbling laugh - like a bear. All of him was like a bear really, from the huge muscles to the warmth he always seemed to give out.

"Say, Sabin, what did you do for Christmas? When you were away from Figaro, I mean." Relm sprung suddenly, with a small skip in her walk. Not that anyone should notice of course... she was way too old for _skipping._

"Christmas? Oh yes, it is December isn't it." He noted. Relm slapped her palm to her face, and let out a small groan. _Talk about unobservant! _"Well, when I was training we didn't really celebrate Christmas. I haven't in..." He counted the years off on his fingers. "I'd say about a good eleven years? Maybe twelve."

"You didn't even go back to Figaro?" Relm asked, flabbergasted.

"Nope. I sent letters to Edgar but I never went back. I couldn't. He let out a slow breath as the two of them climb the ladder up to the deck of the airship.

_This whole Christmas thing has managed to make everyone sad. Geez!_

"Say, why don't you go and talk to Shadow?" Sabin nudged her in the direction of the stoic, silent ninja. Relm shrugged, said one small 'thanks', and ran over to him, feeling the remaining snow left on the deck of the _Falcon_ seep into her boots, and the sludge sloshed around her boots and in between her frozen toes, as the bottom of her sherbert hued trousers became damp with melted snow.

"Relm." The ninja asserted, his rasping voice holding a twinge of a question. He was gripping the iron railings of the airship in his black-gloved hands, his head inclined slightly to her direction. She'd definitely grown - he seemed shorter to her now, and he didn't have to look down so far. Or maybe it was the incline of the Airship. No - no, she'd grown.

"Shadow," she replied in the same tone as his - well, an imitation at least. "What did you do for- never mind, do you even know what Christmas is?" She asked smartly, catching the assassin somewhat off guard.

"I do function as a human being." He looked down at her with either mirthful or contemptuous eyes - Relm could never tell. She preferred to think mirthful. "I am well aware of Christmas."

"Yeah, whatever. So, what did you do for Christmas?" She asked, and watched as his eyes widened briefly before narrowing minutely.

"I celebrated as everyone else would."

"With family?" She asked absently, only really expecting a sharp look and a dismissal. She thought of Strago, her old man - whether he was even alive or not.

"With family." He affirmed apathetically with a minute nod as he looked out over the winter landscape. It's a pity there weren't any fir trees, really.

She paused, looking, like him, over the desolate, festive scenery.

"Do... Do you have any? Family, I mean." She asked tentatively. She'd never really asked him many personal things before - mostly because Strago had told her it wasn't her place - so now she was more curious than ever.

"Yes." He replied after stiffling silence.

"Do they know?"

"What?"

"That you're alive?"

He didn't respond again for several minutes, leaving the air still and quiet as the others frolicked in the snow, taking advantage of whatever fun they still had left in their hearts.

"No." He answered simply and swiftly. She didn't ask him anything after that.

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><p>That Christmas, Relm sat by the fire with Shadow, told stories to Gau, and sang carols with the rest of her friends-turned-family. That put the loneliness well out of her heart, and their hearts too. And when they found Strago the next day, she was certain that never again would she have such a good Christmas.<p>

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><p><em>Merry Christmas (other holidays) everyone! I hope you have a good one! Please review if you've got the time, and I'll see you around!_


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